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Jon Rahm speaks to the media on the U.S. Open, a day earlier than he withdrew.
Getty Pictures
In 2021, Jon Rahm gained the U.S. Open. However on Sunday, identical to you, he was watching on TV.
Rahm mentioned he had a lesion between his fourth and pinkie toes that turned contaminated throughout LIV Golf’s Houston occasion the weekend earlier than the U.S. Open. He withdrew from the match however confirmed up at Pinehurst No. 2 hopeful to play. He spoke with the media on Monday, however on Tuesday, he withdrew.
“After consulting with quite a few docs and my crew, I’ve determined it’s best for my long run well being, to withdraw from this weeks US Open Championship,” Rahm wrote on X. “To say I’m dissatisfied is an enormous understatement!”
So again to Sunday. When Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy have been battling down the stretch, Rahm was watching on TV. So, what did he consider being a fan?
For starters, he mentioned he often watches broadcasts on mute. However he additionally echoed a standard frustration many golf followers share — it’s generally extraordinarily troublesome to seek out out the place to look at the motion, with match rounds going from one community to the opposite and with streaming choices — that are generally the solely choice — in between.
“To go from ABC to NBC to Peacock, then again to the subsequent factor, yeah, they need to make it just a little bit simpler,” he mentioned, talking at this week’s LIV Golf occasion in Nashville, which Rahm plans to play. “It’s an Open in any case. Simply activate one channel and hopefully be capable of watch the entire broadcast.”
Rahm’s greatest critique, although, got here on Rory McIlroy’s decisive par miss on the 72nd gap. Tied with DeChambeau on the time, McIlroy had a par putt of three toes, 9 inches on the 18th gap on Sunday. It was above the opening — by no means the place you wish to be on the speedy greens of Pinehurst No. 2 — and McIlroy missed. He didn’t play sufficient break and hit it too softly, because the ball caught the best edge and lipped out. He made bogey. Within the pairing behind, DeChambeau made par and won.
“I assumed from the instances I had it on and I may hear, I assumed [the broadcast] was OK,” Rahm mentioned. “One of many issues that completely burned me, and I feel it was Smylie [Kaufman] who mentioned it, he severely underplayed how troublesome Rory’s putt on 18 was. When he mentioned it’s a left-center putt, in the event you hit that putt left-center and miss the opening, you’re off the inexperienced due to how a lot slope there’s. You would see Rory aiming at the very least a cup left from three toes. They severely underplayed how troublesome that putt was. Severely.
“I feel that may occur a couple of instances the place until you’ve been there on the golf course and also you’re enjoying it otherwise you’ve performed it, it’s laborious to really clarify how troublesome the golf course may be,” he continued. “A number of instances they solely have these 5 seconds to say one thing shortly, so I additionally don’t blame them. However moreover that, I assumed it was good.”
What Rahm was referring to was when Kaufman, the on-course reporter, mentioned seconds earlier than McIlroy struck the putt: “I acquired behind it, took a learn. Not outdoors the opening. It’s a left-center putt, however you may make it in the event you begin it proper within the center too.”
Though analyst Brandel Chamblee by no means made it sound really easy.
“4 toes, down the hill, breaking to the best,” he mentioned, after McIlroy chipped as much as the spot. “That’s not precisely the 4-footer you need. It acquired above the opening.”
As for Rahm’s prospects this week, he says he hasn’t been capable of do a lot, however that he feels prepared.
“I’m feeling good,” he mentioned. “I’m feeling good. The principle purpose for the withdrawal the 2 occasions was the an infection I had and simply to be precautionary in the direction of not making it worse and seeing what steps I can take to forestall that from occurring sooner or later. The wound remains to be there. I’m not going to point out any graphic photos, but it surely’s nonetheless there. It’s manageable now. I’m not going to actually make it worse. A number of issues to observe up from what occurred to ensure it heals correctly and it doesn’t occur once more.”
